It has been nearly a decade since The Last Guardian finally escaped development hell and landed on the PlayStation 4. Ten years. For most developers, that’s a lifetime. For Fumito Ueda, it’s just how long it takes to breathe life into something that feels truly alien. People are still talking about the new genDESIGN game, currently operating under the working title Project Robot, and honestly, the silence since its big reveal at The Game Awards 2024 has been deafening.
We’ve all been here before. We waited years for Shadow of the Colossus. We waited an eternity for Trico. Now, we’re staring at a hooded figure on a giant mechanical skull, wondering if this is the year we finally get a release date.
What is Project Robot Actually About?
The trailer from late 2024 didn't give us much, but it gave us enough to start obsessive-compulsive frame-by-frame analysis. Basically, it’s a sci-fi pivot. If Ico was a fairy tale and Shadow of the Colossus was a tragedy, this looks like a futuristic exodus. You’ve got a protagonist wearing a poncho and a helmet—very much in line with Ueda’s "boy and his beast" silhouette—but the beast is made of wires and hydraulic fluid this time.
In the teaser, we see the character climbing a massive robot. This isn't just a cinematic; it looks like a direct evolution of the climbing mechanics from Shadow of the Colossus. The air turns gray. A massive shockwave—some fans are calling it a "Shadow Wave"—approaches. The robot’s head literally detaches from its body and flies away, leaving the rest of the chassis to be obliterated.
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It's haunting. It's beautiful. It's exactly what you'd expect from the people who made us cry over a pixelated horse.
The Epic Games Connection
One thing that’s definitely different this time around is the money. Sony isn't the one holding the leash. Back in 2020, genDESIGN signed a massive publishing deal with Epic Games. This is huge because it means the new genDESIGN game isn't a PlayStation exclusive.
- Platforms: It’s confirmed for PC (via the Epic Games Store), PlayStation 5, and—for the first time in Ueda’s history—Xbox consoles.
- Ownership: genDESIGN owns the IP. This is a big deal for creative freedom. Epic covers the bills, but Ueda keeps the rights.
- Engine: While not officially confirmed, there’s a massive chance they’re using Unreal Engine 5 to handle those scale-defying environments.
The "Uedaverse" Theory
Is this game connected to the others? Fans are already pointing out the sigils on the protagonist’s cloak. They look strikingly similar to the patterns found in the Forbidden Lands. Then there are the horns. If you look closely at the helmet design, it almost mimics the silhouette of the horned boys from Ico.
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Maybe it’s a prequel. Maybe it’s the far, far future where the "magic" of the previous games was actually just highly advanced technology that everyone forgot how to use. Honestly, Ueda usually keeps these connections vague. He likes the "half-remembered dream" vibe.
The world we saw in the trailer is barren. It’s dusty. There’s a purple tint to the sky that feels malevolent. We see what looks like a rifle slung over the character's shoulder, which would be a massive departure. Are we actually going to have combat that isn't just "hit the glowing weak point"?
When Can We Actually Play the New genDESIGN Game?
Here is the part where we have to be realistic. It’s early 2026. The trailer dropped in December 2024. If we look at the timeline of The Last Guardian, we could be in for a long wait. However, Ueda himself mentioned in interviews with Famitsu that he learned a lot from the delays of his previous project.
The studio has been teasing art since 2018. They’ve had eight years of pre-production and active development. The level of polish in the Game Awards trailer suggested that the core systems—climbing, piloting, and environmental destruction—are already functional.
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Optimists are eyeing a late 2026 release. Realists are leaning toward 2027.
Yoko Taro (the mind behind Nier) recently joked in a January 2026 Famitsu feature that he’s basically waiting for Ueda to finish his game so he can play it. We’re all in that same boat. The industry has changed, but the demand for games that feel "hand-crafted" and atmospheric hasn't gone anywhere.
What Most People Get Wrong
A lot of people think this is going to be a "Mecha" game like Armored Core. It’s probably not. If you look at the way the protagonist touches the robot before climbing in, there's a sense of partnership there. It’s not just a tool; it’s a companion. The gameplay will likely revolve around the relationship between the small pilot and the massive machine, much like the boy and Trico.
Don't expect a fast-paced shooter. Expect a slow, methodical journey through a dying world.
Actionable Next Steps for Fans
If you're trying to keep up with the new genDESIGN game, here is how to stay in the loop without falling for every "leaked" 4chan rumor:
- Monitor the genDESIGN Official Website: They usually drop a "New Year’s Greeting" image every January that contains a tiny, hidden teaser for the game’s progress. The 2026 image showed more of the "ash" falling from the sky, suggesting the environmental effects are a major focus right now.
- Watch the Epic Games Publishing Feed: Since they are the ones cutting the checks, they’ll be the first to announce a release window or a second trailer.
- Revisit the Trilogy: If you haven't played the 2018 remake of Shadow of the Colossus or the 4K patch for The Last Guardian, do it. It helps you recognize the "visual language" Ueda uses, which will make the next Project Robot trailer much easier to decipher.
The wait is painful, but for a game like this, you can't rush the soul into the machine. We’ll be watching the horizon for that next mechanical shockwave.